01 ERICA'S BEDROOM - DAY
ERICA is alone in the bed, sleeping. The sun is shinning through the window. She wakes up. Stretches and passes the hands on the other side of the bed. Thoughtful.
ERICA - V.O
Every action has a reaction. Everything has a consequence.
When you do something you believe is right, you must have the strength to hold on
to yourself and what you've learned, in order to overcome the
pain and the emptiness that your action may cause.
Erica gets up and goes away.
02 Erica's Bathroom - day
ERICA walks in and looks at the mirror. Thoughtful. Looks at the framed picture on the wall that says "Keep Calm And Carry On". Sighs.
03 50/50's NEW OFFICE, NON-FICTION DEPARTMENT - DAY
BRENT and JULIANNE are in the room. Brent is reading some files and Julianne is holding a vase with flowers, looking around. Puts it on a desk.
JULIANNE
Maybe here? What do you think?
BRENT
It's okay, I guess.
JULIANNE
I don't know. Everything's got to be perfect for tonight!
Maybe the problem is not the spot, but the flowers arrangement itself.
Maybe I should put these in a watering pot.
Brent makes a disgust expression.
JULIANNE
What? Lilies and daffodils in an old porcelain watering pot would be very
"Spring-like".
BRENT
And very country-like. We're city boys and girls, Jules.
JULIANNE
I don't know...
BRENT
Don't over think it. Hey, what about Erica? She's MIA.
JULIANNE
Oh, we need to cut her some slack. I told you - she and Adam broke up... Again.
BRENT
Their yo-yo love kinda remembers me Lindsay Lohan's relationship with jail.
JULIANNE
Yeah, I just hope she doesn't get lost like before.
Julianne looks at the time.
JULIANNE
Okay, but she must hurry,
'cause Will is almost here to meet her.
DAVE and IVAN walk in. They hold two cakes. They say "Happy 1st day"
IVAN
Bonjour, bonjour, my dear friends!
JULIANNE
(Surprised)
Oh, hey! What are you guys doing here?
Shouldn't you be working at Goblins?
DAVE
We should, but...
We decided to come here and wish you good luck.
IVAN
And... Give you this!
Ivan shows them the cake.
JULIANNE
Oh my God! That's very sweet of you, but...
You know... Calories and...
BRENT
And lots calories...
JULIANNE
And more calories.
Ivan takes a fork out of a pocket and puts some cake in Julianne's mouth. She gets delighted.
JULIANNE
And sweetness, and...
And I really need to go to the Zumba class tomorrow, to burn all the fat.
Ivan goes to a desk and hands down the cake.
IVAN
So, I'm just going to put this here and...
Dave
Where's Erica? I have a cake for her too.
JULIANNE
Oh, she's not here yet.
Ivan has an idea.
IVAN
Great! I have an idea!
DAVE
(Scornful)
Oh no...
IVAN
Let's put the cake on her chair and surprise her!
DAVE
What?
Ivan starts walking to the fiction department.
IVAN
(To Dave)
Come, come, come!
Brent approaches the cake and eats a little.
BRENT
(Delighted)
Hmm, definitely Zumba!
04 int. SARAH'S ROOM, REHAB CLINIC - day
There's just a bed, a wardrobe and a window in the room. SARAH is sitting on the bed, pressing the chin against the knees. Has dark circles in the eyes. Looks sad. Looks at the window. Gets up, slowly. Approaches to the window. Looks outside. Sighs. Someone knocks on the door. Sarah takes a deep breath.
SARAH
Come in!
A nurse walks in. Sarah smiles.
NURSE
Hi, Sarah. It's group therapy time.
SARAH
Okay, thank you! I'll be there in a minute.
NURSE
Okay.
The nurse goes away. Sarah stops smiling. Gets sad again. Looks outside again. Sighs. Looks at the door. Goes away slowly.
05 int. 50/50'S NEW OFFICE, ENTRANCE HALL - DAY
ERICA walks in. JULIANNE and BRENT get in, coming out of the non fiction department.
BRENT
Erica!
JULIANNE
Chicken, hey!
ERICA
Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late.
JULIANNE
No, it's fine. Everything is ready to receive people!
ERICA
Okay, great!
JULIANNE
(Embarrassed)
And... How are you?
ERICA
I'm... I'm good considering.
BRENT
Are you?
Pause.
ERICA
Okay, no, I'm not. But... This was my decision,
so I just have to deal with the consequences.
Because I knew, when I decided to break things off with Adam,
that this would happen. This strange feeling that I can't even put into words.
JULIANNE
Agony?
ERICA
Kinda. Yes. I just need to... Wait.
There's nothing I can do to get rid of this feeling.
It's too soon.
JULIANNE
Yes, I guess you're right. Break ups are always hard
and we never know what to do.
We just keep accumulating stress.
BRENT
Until we explode.
ERICA
Or until time fixes it.
BRENT
Maybe.
Silence. Erica changes the subject.
ERICA
Okay, but we're here to work, so... Let's work!
JULIANNE
Yes! Will is almost arriving and I bought this
expensive bottle of champagne for us to celebrate.
ERICA
Great!
Erica starts walking to her department.
JULIANNE
Oh, and our "former tenants" were here to
wish us a happy first day in our new location.
ERICA
Oh, really?
BRENT
Yes, they just left. And they also left one cake for you.
ERICA
Oh, how sweet of them.
Erica gets in the fiction department.
06 int. 50/50'S NEW OFFICE, FICTION DEPARTMENT - DAY
There are three desks in the room and another one - Erica's - separated from the others by movable partitions. ERICA walks in. Goes to her desk, looking at her cellphone. On her chair there's a cake saying "Happy 1st day". Erica doesn't notice it and sits on it. Feels something weird and notices the cake. Gets up, frightened.
ERICA
What the...! Oh my God!
The phone on Erica's desk rings. Erica answers the call.
ERICA
Yes?... Brent, the cake was in my chair and I sat on it.
I mean, I literally sat on it... What? Will?
Oh God... No, send him in. I'll... Improvise.
Erica turns off the call. Sighs.
ERICA
Why me?
07 Int. ERICA'S CONDO, FUTURE - DAY
The TV in 4D, in the living room, is switched on. The colors of the screen are being spread all over the room. ERICA walks in. Her hair is short. She's wearing a bathrobe. Notices the TV.
ERICA
(Loud)
Adam! You left the TV on!
Erica picks up a remote control and prepares to turn off the TV. Pays attention to what's on the TV.
REPORTER - O.C
The number of Object-to-be-destroyed houses is increasing all over the world.
The business started in Japan, where stressed people, mostly businessmen,
paid to destroy everything inside a room in order to relief the tension.
Today, the number of stressed people is huge and more than half the people
of the entire world have visited a shop like this more than once.
According to psychologists, it's a solution to keep pressure under control. Stud...
Erica turns off the TV.
ERICA
Well... 'Pressure makes diamonds'.
Erica puts the remote control on a table, thoughtful. Smiles. Goes to a different room.
08 int. bathroom - day
ERICA walks in. Takes off the bathrobe and presses some buttons in the shower tub. The water starts running. Feels something weird. Self-examines the right breast. Looks at the mirror. Gets concerned. Thoughtful.
BARBARA - V.O
A couple weeks ago I found a lumb in my breast.
I went to the doctor, they took a biopsy and it came back positive.
For cancer, Erica. I have breast cancer.
ERICA - V.O
The consequences of our actions and the things that happen to us
without our control are difficult to deal with, but we have to stay calm.
We may share what we feel, we may even cry,
but we should also relativise our problems,
or else we could end up exploding.
Stay firm, Erica. Stay strong.
Unbreakable. Just like a diamond.
Erica drops a tear. Takes a deep breath.
BEING ERICA 5X07 - THE FUTURE ENDS
09 Int. Supermarket - Day
TOM is at the supermarket checkout. Gives the money to the employee. Waits for the change. Near the employee there's a series of pamphlets saying "HEAD'S CONCERT 2010". Tom looks at them, makes a expression of contempt. Suddenly stops and looks at nothing. Concerned.
KAI - V.O
So I did the one thing you told me not to do.
I tried to find you in 2019 and I can't Erica. I can't find you.
ERICA - V.O
W-Where am I?
The employee tries to give TOM the change, but he ignores her. She talks, but we can't hear her.
KAI - V.O
I don't know. But nine years from something awful
is gonna happen to you. In this city.
ERICA - V.O
What do you mean?
KAI - V.O
A lot of people are gonna die...
EMPLOYEE
Sir? Are you okay?
Tom comes back to normal.
TOM
Y-yes.
(Accepts the change)
Thank you.
EMPLOYEE
Have a nice day.
Tom grabs the shopping bags and walks to the exit door.